The Pittsburgh Steelers just released their first official depth chart of the 2022 season. The quarterback position was clearly the position that most people were anxious to find out the order of and it may be different than some anticipated. Free agent signing Mitch Trubisky was listed as first with veteran Mason Rudolph listed as second and rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett landing third. Even though Pickett won't be the starter to begin the season, we will discuss how he will still make an impact on the team in 2022.
Steelers' Kenny Pickett warms up for his first ever NFL action against the Seattle Seahawks on August 13, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. | Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO, Twitter)
Looking back on previous seasons, the Steelers almost never dress three quarterbacks on game day. Under the new CBA, teams are only able to dress 47 players on their 53-man roster. An exemption was recently made that allows teams to dress a 48th man if they are dressing 8 offensive linemen, but that likely will not effect Pickett. With all that being said, it's unlikely Pickett will be wearing a uniform and helmet on game day anytime soon.
So how can a player that won't be active on game day impact a team over the course of the season? Well, the first thing Pickett will contribute is his leadership and knowledge. Head coach Mike Tomlin has stated multiple times how Pickett has shown great leadership instincts and traits. Those instincts and traits will be put to test right away with how he responds to not being named a starter. If Pickett can take this news and put a positive spin on it, then that will allow his teammates to see he is fully bought in and they can count on him to help lead this team for years to come.
Although Pickett has never played an NFL snap in a regular season game, he played five years of college football at a major ACC program and learned a lot over that time. Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger constantly relied on third string quarterback Josh Dobbs on game days and it's likely Trubisky will ask the same of Pickett. Even though Pickett won't be wearing a uniform, he can see things from the sidelines that many players would not know to look for. He can then pass this plethora of information along to Trubisky and help the quarterback succeed on game day.
The last way Pickett can impact this team (barring on injury and being thrust into a starting position), is in practice. With Pickett unlikely to get a lot of reps during the season, he will be tasked with playing scout team quarterback during the week. This could be seen as a slight to Pickett who was selected in the first round, but if he can take this opportunity to work on his craft and challenge himself, then it's a great opportunity for him to get better.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8) commands the huddle during training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 28, 2022. | Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
With Pickett running the scout team offense, this will in turn make the defense even better. How many defenses across the league get to see live reps from a first-round quarterback every week in practice? Pickett's athleticism and arm strength will constantly challenge the defense and make playing on Sunday's a walk in the park after seeing Pickett in practice all week.
The NFL season is a long battle that often takes all 53 players to make an impact in order for a team to be successful. By no means does this initial roster mean that Pickett won't see the field in 2022. However, if Pickett does get a red shirt year in his rookie season, then he still has plenty of ways he can help this team win in 2022.
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